Alchemy of the Stars
by Aeden Hale
Summary: Edward Elric is able to return his younger brother, Alphonse, to his original form at the cost of his own life. Edward is sent through the Gates to find his mirror in the world on the other side. Unfortunately, it isn’t Munich, Germany in the year 1921
1. Prologue: The Gate is Opened

Title: Alchemy through the Stars

Series: Fullmetal Alchemist/Sailor Moon

Genre: Drama, Romance, Angst

Rating: R

Author: Aeden Hale

Summary: Edward Elric is able to return his younger brother, Alphonse, to his original form at the cost of his own life. Edward is sent through the Gates to find his mirror in the world on the other side. Unfortunately, it isn't Munich, Germany in the year 1921. The Fullmetal Alchemist is transported to 1998 Tokyo, Japan. What will happen when he meets up with Tokyo's famous warriors? What's this, Edward can still use Alchemy?

Prologue: The Gate is Opened

A large stone gateway stood before him. He kept his head down; his blonde bangs falling into his eyes. He wasn't entirely sure what was going to happen at this point. He'd sacrificed himself to return his younger brother, Alphonse Elric, to his natural state. Raising his head, his amber eyes gazed sadly at the gate. He had no other alternative now but to move forward since there was no way to go back.

_So this is it?_ He mused. _I have to leave everyone that I care about to make the transmutation complete. At least I know that Al will be safe with Winry._

He stood completely still as if he were unsure of what to do. His black clothing suddenly felt ridiculously heavy on him. Even the braid that held the rest of his hair seemed to be weighing him down. Sighing, he took his first steps forward. The gates opened before him as if they were waiting specifically on him. He paused momentarily, unsure of what to do.

_"Edward Elric, your destiny guides you through these Gates."_ A female voice beckoned to him. _"You must follow your destiny."_

Destiny? He'd never heard mention of this destiny before. Shrugging, the eldest Elric brother moved forward to the gate. What did he have to lose? As he made his way through the Gates, Edward noticed that their appearance had changed. Instead of the sandstone that they'd been made of before, the Gates were now a pure alabaster. The mists swirled around him as he cautiously made his way into this new place. The swift movement from his right caused him to stop in his tracks. A lone figure stood there with a staff in a defensive manner.

"Halt! Who dares enter the realm of the Gates of Time?"

***

Sensing a new presence in her domain, a pair of garnet eyes flew open in response. Flicking her dark green hair over her shoulder, Pluto held her staff a little more tightly. Then a smile settled on her face. The boy named Edward Elric was now in her realm. He was a year older than her princess, who was sixteen. The smile on her face widened as she saw him come closer. It would be appropriate to show this young man just what he was up against. The Time Guardian raised her staff and let herself be seen.

"Halt! Who dares enter the realm of the Gates of Time?"

The young man did as he was told. He watched her carefully as he also attempted to gain information about his surroundings. "My name is Edward Elric." He replied cautiously.

"Hai, I knew that." Pluto answered. "Why have you come here?"

"Wait a minute!" Edward interrupted. "Who are you? What is this place?"

"Patience, Elric-san. I'll tell you everything in due time."

A scowl settled on his face. "I don't know what you just called me, but I'd better find out something and soon." Placing his hands together, blue electricity danced around them. This seemed to surprise him.

"Ano, Elric-san, I'll tell you everything you need to know. I am the Senshi, or warrior, of Revolution. My guardian planet is Pluto. My name is Sailor Pluto, the Guardian of Time." She said, bowing politely. "You are presently at the Time Gates."

A puzzled look overcame Edward's face. "I don't understand. You're the guardian of this place? I sacrificed myself to bring my brother back to life."

"I know, Elric-san. I also know that you were a member of the military and have an arm and leg of an artificial substance called auto mail, if I'm correct. This gate that you entered was opened by your younger brother, who was the key. Am I right?" Pluto questioned.

Edward nodded. "How did you know?"

"I am the guardian of Time. I can see all. You also want to know why you can still use Alchemy, ne?" Another nod from Edward. "This place is where your mirror is, your other self. You are to be sent to a place called Tokyo in a country named Japan. The year is currently 1998. The young warriors that exist hear use magic much like your Alchemy, so that is why you can still use it."

"These warriors you're talking about, when will I meet them?" he asked.

"Hopefully not for a while, Elric-san. There has been a prolonged period of peace here, demo, I'm sensing a negative energy heading toward this planet. I will inform the hime-sama when I bring you to the city." Pluto explained.

"The what?" Edward questioned, tilting his head to the side.

"The princess that I serve. Serenity-hime will be very disappointed. She does so hate to fight." Turning to go, Pluto motioned for him to follow. "I'm sure that she would love to make a new companion. I will station you with a job and some clothing to fit this time period. The rent for the first month is paid on an apartment in the city. Onegai, change your clothes quickly, Elric-san and we'll go."

A crimson light overcame her and a lavender skirt and jacket suit replaced the short-skirted sailor outfit. She waited patiently with her back turned as Edward changed his clothes. A pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and a jean jacket replaced his black uniform. He kept the white gloves on his hands. He adjusted a dark pair of sunglasses on his face as he moved to follow Pluto. A smile played its way across his lips and Edward knew he would like it here until he could get home.

***

"Rei-chan, you're so mean! Why can't you just listen to me for once?"

"Because, Usagi, you always get us into trouble!"

"Rei-chan, Usagi-chan, onegai, calm down! We're not going to get anywhere fighting like this." A blue haired girl commented.

"We can handle it, Ami-chan!" a raven-haired girl and a blonde shouted at the same time.

"Minna!" another blonde interrupted. "Why don't we just go swimming and then go to the arcade? It's too hot to do anything outside besides that."

A brunette with her hair pulled up in a high ponytail nodded. "That makes sense, Minako-chan. Let's do it!"

It was the beginning of July and a Saturday after class was over. Temperatures in the low to mid 90s weren't strange in Tokyo at this time of year. The five girls lay in various places in the young miko of the Hikawa Shrine's room. Hino Rei, Kino Makoto, Aino Minako, Mizuno Ami, and Tsukino Usagi were rather drowsy from the intense heat of the day.

"Oi, maybe we could stop by the race track and say hello to Haruka-san and Michiru-san." Makoto suggested.

"Hai! We haven't seen them in forever!" Usagi exclaimed.

"Usagi-chan, I'm afraid your visit to Haruka and Michiru will have to wait." A voice came from the door. All five girls turned to see the owner.

"Setsuna-san!" Usagi cried. "Have you come to visit us too?"

The Time Senshi shook her head. "Forgive me, Usagi-hime, demo, we may have another enemy attack on our hands. I've felt a strange force coming toward Earth lately."

Rei was about to comment on this when she noticed a figure shuffling around behind Setsuna. "Setsuna-san, dare mo?" she asked, pointing.

"This, minna, is Elric Edward-san. He's come to…help…with the current situation." Setsuna told them.

Usagi's curiosity got the better of her and she sprang to her feet to see this new person. Setsuna stepped aside to reveal a boy about her age and an inch or two taller than her. His blonde hair was pulled into a short braid that barely passed his shoulder blades. What amazed her were his amber eyes. She'd never seen eyes that color before. Her mouth got the better of her this time.

"You're really short." She commented simply.

Edward's eyes narrowed as his eyebrow twitched. "And your hair is really weird, meatball head."

"Nani! You're very rude, do you know that?" Usagi retorted.

Rei snickered at her princess's expense. "He's right, odango atama."

"Yeah, what she said." Edward repeated.

Usagi fumed as she stuck her tongue at him. "I bet Mako-chan is much taller than you, Ed-baka."

Edward stuck his tongue out in response. "I don't care! I don't even know your name and you're still insulting me!"

The moon bunny stopped short. "Oh yeah." She commented with a nervous laugh and extended her hand. "Watashi wa Tsukino Usagi-chan."

"Usagi, huh? That's weird." Ed commented. "I'll just call you meatball head. It's a lot easier."

Minako took this opportunity to slide up next to Ed. She had a sly look on her face as she focused on Usagi. "Hi, Ed-kun. My name is Aino Minako-chan. Has anyone ever told you how good looking you are?"

Ed gave Minako a disbelieving look. "Uh, no. Has anyone ever told you how weird you are?"

Setsuna covered her mouth with her hand in an attempt to stifle her laughter. She managed to control herself when she saw the raven-haired miko studying the boy. "Rei-chan, can you do a fire reading?"

"Hai." Rei replied, nodding.

They all moved into the great fire's chamber. Ed shrugged and followed them, making himself comfortable on a cushion. Rei sat before the fire that was blazing. Placing her hands together, she moved her fingers in a series of movements that turned out to be too quick for Ed to follow. Shaking his head, he continued to watch. The miko began chanting words that were unfamiliar to him. The chanting increased in speed as she continued to concentrate. It was suddenly that she stopped. Ed leaned forward to wait for what happened next.

"There is an increasing darkness. I see youma filling the streets and the Senshi are nowhere to be found." Rei told them. She let out a gasp. "Minna, I see Usagi. She's fighting the youma as Eternal Sailor Moon. There is more than one. They're collecting around her. I see a man there. He's commanding them. Yameru! Yameru! Usagi!" The miko fell forward, her face covered in sweat.

"Rei-chan, doushita no?" Makoto asked, helping her sit up.

"Usagi's star seed was stolen. The man, he took it. He crushed it in his hand. She was lying there and her eyes were dull. She was dead."

All gazes shifted toward Usagi. The blonde bunny fidgeted from her cushion. She refused to meet any of their gazes. It was Setsuna who noticed the anxiety in her princess. The guardian of time rose and knelt down beside Usagi, placing a hand on her shoulder. The small girl refused to look up at her.

"Usagi-chan, Daijoubu ka?"

The girl looked up with cloudy eyes. "Setsuna-san, how long do we have before we have to fight again? How long until everyone is fighting for me again?"

Setsuna shook her head. "I'm not sure, hime-sama. No more than two weeks."

"Minna, you can't smother me this time. I can take care of myself." Usagi said quietly as she looked at each of her friends. Her gaze stopped on Ed. "Ed-kun, gomen ne. You came at a bad time. We're about to go back to war."

Ed stared at Usagi and waved his hands in front of him. "Look, I don't blame you. I'll help you in whatever way I can. I won't let you get hurt by some psycho, princess. I was a dog of the military, I can protect you."

Usagi smiled gently at him. "Arigato, Ed-kun. We still have some time before the first attack, so we should all try to relax until then."

"Demo, Usagi-chan! If we're not ready and the enemy takes us by surprise, this planet could be lost." Makoto protested.

"Mako-chan. Were we prepared when Beryl attacked? Were we prepared when the Death Tree took root? Were we prepared when the Dark Moon Family tried to ruin the future? Were we prepared when Nehelenia invaded our dreams? Were we prepared when Chaos and Galaxia stole our star seeds?" she asked quietly.

Ami nodded. "Usagi-chan is right. We've fought so many wars that we're strong enough Senshi by now. We will win this war. We just have to work together."

"Ano, Ami-chan, do you think the Starlights will help us?" Minako asked with a wink.

"Iie, Minako-chan. Besides, they're rebuilding their own planet. We've got Ed-kun to help us. Other than that, we're alone this time."

Rei obtained an evil twinkle in her eye. "Hai, Usagi is looking forward to seeing Seiya-kun again. It's obvious that she cares for him."

"Urusai, Rei-chan!" Usagi blurted, crimson tinting her cheeks. "Seiya is one of my very best friends and he helped me through the worst of times even though Taiki-san and Yaten-kun forbid him to see me and Haruka-san and Michiru-san forbid me to see him. That's all, Rei-chan."

The others watched after their princess as she rose to her feet quickly and left the Great Fire's chamber. Ed sat on his cushion, utterly confused. These girls were nuts. He also stared after the meatball headed girl. She was reacting to her friend's teasing a little too seriously.

"Uh oh, I think you hit a nerve, Rei-chan." Makoto commented.

"Someone has to toughen her up." Rei huffed indignantly. "Why shouldn't it be me?"

"She's had a rough time since Mamoru-san's gone back to the United States. The college sent word of his disappearance, demo, I'm not going to be the one to tell her." Minako stated.

"Mamoru? Is he Usagi's boyfriend?" Ed asked, still confused.

"Hai." Ami replied. "He's attending a college in the United States, demo, he's disappeared recently from the campus and no one has been able to find him. Usagi-chan doesn't know anything about this."

Ed blinked incredulously. "This is serious and you haven't told her. Sure, the meatball head is a little ditzy, but she deserves to know. This guy is obviously important to her. If anything like that happened to my brother, Al, I'd want to know immediately."

"You don't understand, Ed-kun." Rei stated. "The last time Mamoru-san left before Galaxia's attack, she fell apart. Seiya-kun was the only one who took her mind off of him for a while and she was happy again for a short time."

The blonde state alchemist nodded his head, still not understanding fully. He couldn't understand why Usagi's Senshi were lying to her. If her boyfriend meant that much to her, wouldn't she do something stupid when she found out he was gone? Ed rose to his feet and moved to leave. It was Makoto who looked up and saw him.

"Where are you going, Ed-kun?"

"I need some air. This is a lot to take in." Ed replied.

The girls watched as the young man they'd met not half an hour ago stood and exited the temple. Could he really help them with the upcoming battle?

***

Usagi sighed as she buried her face in her arms. Couldn't Rei stop teasing her for just this once? Things were getting serious. More than that, they were getting dangerous. The blonde bunny heaved another sigh. Mamoru was gone this time as well. Something inside told her that he wasn't coming back this time. Perhaps he'd found another in America. Perhaps he just didn't want to return to Japan. Tears of frustration crept down her cheeks as she raised her head to stare out at the river. She wouldn't let the others see her cry.

"There you are, meatball head." Came a voice from behind her. "I was wondering where you'd gotten to."

Another sigh escaped her as she registered the person as Ed. What did he care if she'd run off? Ed wasn't exactly the first person she wanted to confess her problems to. She remained quiet, hoping he'd take the hint and go away. Unfortunately, he turned out to be much like herself, oblivious to subtle hints. When Ed moved beside her at the bridge, Usagi looked up at him, her eyes red and puffy from crying. The goofy smile on the young State Alchemist's face was wiped clean. Concern was plastered all over his features.

"What's wrong, meatball head?" he asked.

Usagi wiped her eyes with the back of her arm. "Gomen ne, Ed-kun. I just couldn't take Rei-chan's teasing. With this new enemy coming, I have enough to worry about."

"It seems like she really cares about you, Usagi." Ed replied. "In fact, I bet they're all really worried about you right now."

"I don't know, Ed-kun. Rei-chan is probably thinking up more insults."

Come on—what was it she called you?"

"Odango atama?" Usagi offered.

"That's the one! Come on, odango. Cheer up. Do you like ice cream?"

The blonde bunny blinked as she sniffled one last time. "Hai, doushite?"

"I don't know what that means, but I'm guessing that it's good. Let's go!" Ed concluded.

As they made their way down the street, the State Alchemist stopped by a hedge and began removing his jean jacket. Usagi swore that she saw a glint of something metal in the sunlight. Ed pulled a long-sleeved red overcoat with a hood onto his shoulders. He turned around and continued up the street. She noticed a funny symbol in black on the very back of the coat. Cocking her head to the side, Usagi studied it.

"Ed-kun, what is that on your back? I've never seen anything that looks like that."

The blonde boy stopped and waited for her to catch up with him. "It's my teacher's crest. It proves that I've learned all I need to know from her."

Usagi nodded. "Why do you wear those gloves? It's the middle of the summer."

Did this girl not know when to quit? Ed rolled his eyes as the question hit his ears. Setsuna had never said anything about her princess being so curious. "Do you ever shut up?"

"Oi! I don't know, do you get any taller?" Usagi shouted. "Have you always been that short?"

Ed whirled around with a savage look in his eyes. "Are you calling me the Guinness Book of World Records kind of shorty!"

"Maybe I am! It's not my fault that you're almost as short as me!"

The blonde state alchemist turned back around and grumbled as he continued up the street. Usagi caught up to him and quickly grabbed his arm as she began to steer him in a different direction. Ed looked up to see some sort of restaurant in front of them a short while later. The Crowns Fruit Parlor must have been her favorite place to go.

As they entered the small boutique, Ed noticed that it was relatively empty. There was a section apart from the booths that was made for some other type of entertainment but he wasn't sure what. Usagi quickly let go of his arm and bounced over to the counter. A sandy-haired man caught sight of her and smiled.

"Usagi-chan! It's been a while since you've been in." he said cheerily.

"I know, Motoki-nii-san. I've been busy." Usagi admitted sheepishly.

Motoki peeked around her at Ed, who now had his arms casually resting behind his head. "Who's your friend? I don't think I've seen him around before."

"Oh, Edo-kun isn't from around here. He just moved here and I'm showing him around." Usagi answered smoothly. Ed was surprised at how well she could invent stories.

"Well then, enjoy yourselves! The ice cream's on me today."

"Arigatou, Motoki-nii-san!" Usagi exclaimed.

She promptly began bouncing to the nearest booth leaving Ed to follow her. He grumbled something as he sat in the seat opposite of her. Usagi played with a strand of hair a bit uncomfortably as he stared out the window. This place wasn't so different from Central. In fact, Ed expected to see the familiar blue uniforms of the military move past the window any second. He expected to see Havoc buying cigarettes from a convenience store nearby. Hell, he even expected to see Al and himself running away from headquarters as fast as they could and hopping the next train to Risembul.

"I hate lying, Ed-kun."

The sudden statement caused him to look over and lock eyes with the blonde girl in front of him. "You can do it so well, though." He commented.

A hurt look passed over her face. "You don't know what it's like, Edo-kun. I'd sneak in late at night from a battle. Everyone else was asleep. I'd have to make up things to explain the bruises and cuts and other injuries I'd have the next day. It was the same way with all of us. Two years of that, Edo-kun. I hate it."

"I do know what it's like in a way." Ed stated. "In my world, we perform an art called alchemy. I guess you could call it a type of magic. Anyway, there are several rules to alchemy that are important, the two most important being 'to obtain something, something of equal value must be offered.' Equivalent exchange. The other was 'Alchemy cannot be used in the place of God.' Human transmutation is illegal. My younger brother, Al, and I didn't care. We didn't let anyone know what we were doing. We learned alchemy from our teacher and within a year we were back in our hometown of Risembul. Our mother had died several years before we learned alchemy. Our plan was to perform a human transmutation to bring her back. Al and I got all the ingredients found in the human body and for her soul, we both put in a drop of our own blood. The transmutation went fine at first, but then something went wrong."

"Al's body started disappearing. Soon he was gone. I was standing before a gate. There were hundreds of eyes staring out at me. It was like all the knowledge of alchemy was being shoved into my brain. When all the images and words stopped cramming into my mind, I heard a voice. I guess it was God. He said that I couldn't get all this knowledge without giving something in return. Equivalent exchange. When I woke up, my left leg was gone and there was blood all over the floor. Al was still missing. With the new knowledge I'd gained, I'd managed to draw a transmutation circle on the neck plate of a suit of armor we had. I was back in that strange place looking for my brother. The voices around me kept taunting me about equivalent exchange. I told them that I didn't care, that I just wanted my brother back. When I woke up again, Al's soul had been bonded to that armor and he was holding me in his arms. My right arm was gone now as well."

"He carried me to the home of our childhood friend, Winry, and her grandmother bandaged my wounds. Soon after that, I got automail for my missing limbs and Al and I joined the military in search of the Philosopher's Stone to return ourselves to our original forms. We lived knowing the sin we had committed. Al didn't see what we'd created, but I did. It wasn't human. It wasn't our mother. I've dwelled on our actions for a long time."

Usagi remained silent for a while. "Automail is metal, right?"

"Yeah, why?" Ed replied.

"I saw your arm when you were changing coats. I didn't want to say anything to make you uncomfortable."

Ed nodded, not really responding.

"Can I see it?" Usagi asked.

Ed pulled off the white glove on his right hand. He wiggled his metal fingers slowly. Usagi studied his prosthetic limb with fascination. The blonde alchemist turned his head away from her. His eyes widened and he turned back when he felt pressure on his hand. Usagi had laid her hand over his. A small smile had formed on her face. It was almost as if he'd been forgiven. Almost.

"You shouldn't be ashamed, Ed-kun. You wanted to see your mother again. No one can blame you for that."

The blonde alchemist looked at her in disbelief. Everyone in his world had told him what a sin he and his brother had committed and that he deserved to be punished. Now, this girl was opening her heart to him, not judging, and offering him her understanding. Edward didn't understand. Had she really seen so much that what had happened to him was nothing? Hell, Usagi was his age. He felt the continued pressure of Usagi's hand on his.

"So you have a thing for blondes too, Usagi-chan? Wait until I tell Mamoru-sempai." Motoki laughed as he brought them their ice cream.

Usagi blushed brightly as she gave a nervous laugh and jerked her hand away. "Motoki-nii-san, that's cruel! Ed was just a little sad for leaving his home. I was telling him not to worry."

Ed was about to protest when the blonde shot him a warning glance. He sighed instead and looked the other direction. Usagi was going on and on about where he'd come from. He knew that she hated lying to people, as she'd just explained, but it was far easier than the truth. Isn't that what he and Al had been doing to Winry over the past few years? Shaking his head, he noticed that the man named Motoki had gone and turned back to Usagi. She had cocked her head to the side as she watched him.

"What's wrong, Edo-kun? You seem uncomfortable."

"Just reminiscing I suppose." He said. "What is it that you're hiding from everyone? Don't they know that you're a princess?"

Usagi practically leapt over the table to shush him. Looking around in a panic, the blonde girl sighed in relief when she saw that no one had heard. "Please be quiet, Edo-kun. No one knows the identities of the Senshi other than their planetary names. That goes for me being a princess, too. Please be careful what you say."

"How can no one know that you're a princess?" Ed asked, skeptical.

The blonde sighed as she looked down at her ice cream. "It's a little complicated. I don't know if people believe in reincarnation where you're from, but that's kind of the case here."

Edward raised a golden eyebrow. "What does reincarnation have to do with anything?"

"Everything, Edo-kun. I'll make this a short story since it could be much longer. I was the princess of a kingdom that existed over a thousand years ago on the moon. An evil being called Metallia rose up and brought war to us and the other planets. The senshi that you met today and I were killed in the war. My mother, Queen Selenity, used the last of her life to send us a thousand years into the future in hopes of a peaceful life. That didn't quite work out." Usagi explained.

"I guess that's why Setsuna still calls you princess. So no one else knows about this past?" the blonde alchemist asked.

Usagi shook her head. "My parents don't even know about me being Sailor Moon."

"You sure have weird names here. What's a Sailor Moon?"

"Sailor Moon is the sailor senshi of the moon. She fights evil and protects this planet. I'm Sailor Moon." Usagi explained.

Edward felt himself getting a headache. This was too much to handle in one day. What he needed was nap. Speaking of nap, Setsuna had yet to show him where his apartment would be. As if on cue, there was a buzzing that came from his back pocket. Jumping out of his seat, he pulled out an object that looked like a black wrist watch. Seeing that he didn't know what to do with it, Usagi snatched it from his grasp and made sure that no one was watching.

"Hai?"

"Hime-sama?" came the voice from the other end.

Usagi giggled a bit. "Ne, Setsuna-san, I didn't know you gave Edo-kun a communicator."

"I gave him one so that we could get in touch with him quickly and at any time. I see that you're still with Edward-san. Why don't the two of you meet me at the park? I'm sure he'd like to know where he lives." Setsuna said.

"Hai. We'll be there soon. Ja ne!" the blonde chirped, turning to Ed. "Well, it looks like Setsuna-san is ready to show you your new home. Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

~*~

14


	2. Chapter 1: Voices in the Dark

**Author's Note: Sorry for the delay!!! *bows in appology* I'm sorry it took me this long to get chapter one out, but you know how life goes. I've been working on my Dragon Age fic as of late and chapter three is in the works for those of you who are reading that as well. For my _Moonlight, Starlight_ fans, I'm also working on chapter seventeen. I'm also going to ask for help on _Hopelessly Lost_ because I've come to a bit of a rut there. I do know that the end pairings are going to be Shin/Usagi, Natsui/Mamoru, Ryo/Rei, Shuu/Makoto, Seiji/Touma, Taiki/Ami, Yaten/Minako, Haruka/Michiru, and Shuten/Setsuna...and their will be a character death at the end. *dodges thrown fruit* So, if anyone has any ideas on where to go with this, please send me a PM. Thank you for all those who have reviewed and keep it up! XD Now, without further ado, Chapter One!!!**

Title: Alchemy through the Stars

Series: Fullmetal Alchemist/Sailor Moon

Genre: Drama, Romance, Angst

Rating: R

Author: Aeden Hale

Chapter 1: Voices in the Dark

The walk to the park was relatively short. The sun was still shining, though now it was dotted occasionally by a white puffy cloud or two. The two travelled in silence down the sidewalk as they went to meet Setsuna. The Alchemist was somewhat nervous. The older woman had told him that she would be providing him with lodgings and a part time job in which to pay for them. What the hell did that mean?

Usagi was the first to enter the trees as she made her way toward the center of the park. Edward was content to follow the blonde for the remainder of the journey since she seemed to know where she was going. Sure enough, Setsuna was waiting for them in the center of the park by a large fountain. She rose to greet them, seeming to study the two.

"I see that you made it, Usagi-chan."

"Hai, Setsuna-san. I'm pretty sure that Edo-kun didn't know his way, so I decided to show him." The blonde said with a smile.

"Are you ready to see you're living quarters, Edward-san?"

"As ready as ever, I guess." The blonde said, shrugging his shoulders.

The three moved down the sidewalk to the other side of the park with Setsuna leading and Usagi and Ed trailing behind her. The State Alchemist was amazed at the sheer number of people that moved among them and drove along the streets. Sure, Central had a lot of people, but this city had enough people to be its own country. He was glad that he and Al hadn't had to search this place for information.

The length of the trip was actually only about five minutes. The mass of bodies made it seem longer. The Time Guardian would glance over her shoulder every now and then to make sure the two teenagers were still behind her. She finally turned into quite a large apartment complex and made her way into the lobby. After speaking with whomever was at the front desk, she returned to the two with a key and nodded toward the elevator.

Edward looked around the elevator car as they were quickly ascending the floors. His amber eyes landed on the small blonde standing next to him and noticed how short she actually was. A smirk played across his lips. Finally he'd found someone shorter than he was, even if it wasn't by much. A sharp 'ding' pulled Ed from his thoughts as Usagi stepped out of the elevator before him. Setsuna was leading them once again as they made their way down a long corridor. Amber eyes widened as he saw the number on the door that the older woman had stopped in front of and felt the knife twist deeper into his heart. 3O11.

"This will be your residence from now on, Edward-san." Setsuna informed him as she twisted the key in the knob. "I'll let you take a look around."

Nodding, the seventeen-year-old alchemist moved into the apartment's interior. There was a living area, a kitchen, a bathroom, a balcony, and a hallway that connected to a bedroom. The apartment had already been furnished and was quite nice. It was bigger than their room at the hotel in Central. After a few minutes, he turned to face Usagi and Setsuna, giving them a thumbs up and a large grin. The Guardian of Time nodded jovially.

"You said you'd be setting me up with a part time job while I was here." Ed recalled. "What will I be doing?"

Setsuna took a breath before she spoke, as if trying to calm her nerves. "You'll be the assistant to one of the race car drivers here in Tokyo. I've already spoken to the driver and they've agreed."

Usagi looked at the woman in a worried manner. "Setsuna-san, you don't mean—"

"Hai, Edward-san will be working with Haruka."

"Haruka-san?" Ed asked, raising an eyebrow, trying to get into the practice of using honorifics.

"Hai, Tennoh Haruka. She's one of the best drivers in the world. She'll most likely give you a hard time since you're going to be working so closely with Usagi-chan."

"A hard time isn't even the beginning." Usagi said, whispering to Ed. "Haruka-san doesn't like men. It's a good thing that Michiru-san will be around to protect you."

Edward's eyes widened as he leaned in to whisper back. "So Haruka is bad news?"

Usagi nodded. "She'll want to pound you."

The green-haired woman blinked at the two teenagers as she began to laugh. "Honestly, I don't think Haruka is that bad. How about we head to the racetrack so that you can meet her? She just got back into town today."

Usagi bounced up and down excitedly, clapping her hands. "Let's go see Haruka-san! I haven't seen Haruka-san or Michiru-san in ages!"

Rolling his eyes, the State Alchemist sighed and nodded in agreement. "Odango atama seems to be pretty excited about going, so let's go before she hurts herself."

Setsuna giggled as she handed Ed the key to his apartment and was leading them out the door once again. Once the three of them had made it to the front of the building, the Time Guardian hailed a cab and the three of them got in. The ride to the racetrack was quiet as Usagi fidgeted with her hands from her place between Setsuna and Ed. Said alchemist was too busy staring out the window at all the different sights to notice her slight discomfort.

The smaller of the two knew what was in store for the alchemist upon their arrival at the racetrack. Haruka would be interrogating poor Ed for the rest of the day and probably the entire time he worked for her. Usagi knew that the older woman was fearful for her safety, but sometimes took it too far. Sneaking a glance at her new companion, the blonde saw that he looked passively sad. If he only let his emotions emerge when he was lost in thought, that meant that he wouldn't tell her what he was feeling. Then again, they hadn't known each other that long.

Usagi was startled out of her thoughts by the sound of Setsuna opening the door. Her older guardian stepped out and helped her follow. Ed quickly got out of the other side and moved around to meet them. He studied the large structure in slight awe as Setsuna took a step or two toward the racetrack.

"Um, what is this place used for?" Ed asked, cocking his head to the side.

"This establishment is used to test the skill of the driver and the speed of their car. It's a spectators' competition in our world Edward-san." The Guardian of Time explained. "Haruka is one of the best."

Edward nodded his head. "This place is different from my home. We don't have as many scientific advancements."

"How do you know where your enemy is then?" Usagi asked, walking ahead of them toward the racetrack.

"We didn't. We waited until they attacked. Unless they'd left us clues, which was careless on their part, we didn't know where to look." Ed said, following.

Usagi snorted at this. "Well, that's bad luck for you. Our command center lets us find our enemies easily. Unless they're using alien technology, we can find them."

"Alien, as in from another country?" the blonde alchemist asked.

The other blonde snickered. "Alien, as in another planet; another universe even."

"So is that guy that Rei mentioned an alien? What was his name? Seiya?"

"Don't talk about Seiya like that!" Usagi snapped, a heated blush lighting her cheeks. "Seiya, Taiki-san, and Yaten-kun are very dear friends to us and they helped us save our planet!"

Setsuna giggled. "Seiya-kun did help us. The way you're talking about him, you sound like his number one fan."

Edward rolled his eyes as Usagi denied any membership to the aforementioned fan club. They entered the gates and moved down onto the track. The members of the pit crew handed them each a large pair of headsets so that the noise wouldn't damage their ears and then moved aside as three cars raced around the blacktop. Edward was amazed at the momentous speeds at which they were moving. The automobiles that they had in his world could move fairly fast, but not as fast as these were moving. They were easily pushing a hundred miles an hour.

At the wave a flag, the cars began to slow down and, within two or three laps, they were able to lose enough speed to come to a stop. A yellow car stopped closest to them. Usagi gave an excited squeal as the driver climbed out of the car, causing Edward to assume that this was Haruka. Removing the helmet, the driver shook out her short sandy hair and turned to grin at the petite blonde next to him. When her blue gaze shifted to him, the grin disappeared and a glare replaced it. Ed laughed nervously as Haruka left the track and began making her way up to them. This couldn't be as bad as training under Izumi, could it?

Haruka made her way up the stairs and came to a stop in front of them, wiping her face with a towel she'd picked up on the way. Upon seeing the blonde bunny before her, her lips curved into a smile and hugged the teenager tightly. Usagi giggled as she returned the embrace.

"I didn't expect you to visit so soon, koneko-chan. Is everything okay?"

Usagi giggled once again. "Hai, everything's fine, Haruka-san. We just brought Edo-kun to meet you so that he could start work tomorrow."

The senshi of Uranus turned her scowling gaze to the blonde male to right of her princess. "So you're Edward Elric? You'll be my assistant? I hope you've got some balls, boy. You're going to need them to work with me."

Golden eyes met blue as the two stared one another down. Ed felt his jaw clench as a sneer made its way onto his face. "I've dealt with tougher people than you. Believe me, I can handle you."

Haruka snorted. "Not bad for a pipsqueak."

"What did you call me?" the alchemist growled.

"Alright, you two, please no fighting." Usagi said, stepping between them as she laughed nervously. "Edo-kun's a long way from home, so please do your best to make him feel as normal as possible, Haruka-san."

"Michiru's going to have to give me that order, because that's one that I won't follow, princess."

Setsuna shook her head and gave a dismayed sigh. "We'll talk more about the situation when we get home and Michiru's flight arrives this evening. Edward-san is going to help us, so to speak."

"I'm assuming that you want me to give shorty a tour then?"

"That would be preferable, Haruka." Setsuna said. "If you'd like, Edward-san. I'll send Usagi-chan along with you."

Edward thought about this. He'd most likely be bickering with Usagi the whole time they were with Haruka. On the other hand, Haruka might murder him if they were alone. He'd decided to go with the alternative.

"Whatever, she can come if she wants to." He said.

"Okay, I'll catch up to you in a few minutes, Edo-kun. I'm going to walk Setsuna-san to the gate. I'll see you in a few minutes!" she called cheerfully as the two of them started toward the gate.

Haruka waited until they were out of ear shot before turning to Ed with a look of murderous intent on her face. "Look, we may have to work together, but that doesn't mean that I have to trust you, boy. I'm doing this to keep the princess happy. I've only made her cry once. I swore that I wouldn't do it again. You step out of line with her and I won't hesitate to pound your face in."

Ed snorted at this. "Whatever. You talk big, but can you back it up?"

"Keep your mouth shut and your hands to yourself and you won't have to find out."

The tomboy turned and started walking away from him. Ed groaned as he moved in step behind her. This was going to be a long afternoon.

~*~

When the two finally arrived back at Edward's apartment, the alchemist groaned loudly as he flopped down on the couch. The tour with Haruka had been horrible, even with Usagi there, and he wondered how he was ever going to work with the woman. Usagi had been the one to keep peace between them and he didn't know how he was going to be able to work under the driver if they couldn't even speak.

Usagi moved to Ed's refridgerator and brought a can of soda out for both of them. Handing a can to him, she sat down next to him on the couch. He'd been quiet since they left the racetrack and the blonde was a little unsure about that. Haruka might have been a little harsh with him, She took a sip of her soda, sparing a glance at Edward as she did so. He still hadn't said anything since they'd sat down. Usagi cleared her throat to try to gain his attention.

"So what do you think, Edo-kun? Do you think you could get along with Haruka-san long enough to earn some money?" she asked.

Edward shrugged and snorted as he tossed his braid over his shoulder. "I suppose. I think I could take her, though. You're lucky that we're both trying to behave ourselves for your sake." He said, drinking his soda.

"For my sake?" Usagi asked. "I don't think anything should be done for my sake."

"Now there was one thing that Haruka said to me earlier today that got my attention. I never got to ask her about it, though, so I'll ask you." Ed said, "She said that she'd only made you cry once and that she'd never do it again. What the hell was she talking about?"

Usagi sat her can of soda on the coffee table, staring at something on the floor. If the blonde alchemist hadn't known any better, he'd have guessed that she'd spaced out. He was quite familiar with that look, however. It was something painful that he'd asked. When Usagi looked back to him, her eyes were shining with tears.

"We were fighting Galaxia and the battle hadn't gone well so far. The Starlights had been badly injured when we finally reached them. The Inner senshi were killed when their starseeds were taken protecting me and the Starlights from Galaxia's attack. We were able to transport away from her with the help of Chibi Chibi. Uranus and Neptune left first to attack and Pluto and Saturn left a little later. When the Starlights and I had gathered enough energy back, we left to find the others. By the time we reached Galaxia, Pluto and Saturn were already fading from having their starseeds stolen. Uranus and Neptune had been the ones to steal them."

At this point in the story, Usagi's eyes grew unfocused as she rested her fingers gingerly on her cheek as if she'd been struck. "They attacked us; the Starlights and me. They used their full strength on us. They had us convinced that they were our enemies. Only when they were about to use their final attack on us, did they turn on Galaxia and try to take her starseed. She took the bracelets back that kept them alive. Uranus and Neptune began to fade, making Fighter promise to take care of me since they were all gone. All my important shines had been taken from me."

Edward swallowed the lump in his throat as he saw a few tears slip from her eyes as she turned to look at him and plaster a big smile on her face. Usagi clearly had wounds that were still fresh. Resting his hand on her shoulder, he attempted to make her feel better. He wasn't quite sure if it was working. When Usagi continued to sniffle, Edward pulled her into a comforting hug, a bright blush decorating his cheeks. It wasn't every day that he hugged a girl.

"Look, Usagi," he said, willing himself to stop blushing, "Haruka promised that she wouldn't make you cry anymore, so you don't have to worry. I'm pretty sure she's not one to break her promise."

Usagi smiled as she pulled out of Ed's hug, apparently oblivious to the color on his cheeks. She wiped her tears and rose from the couch, smoothing her clothes. Ed stood up with her as she walked toward the door. The blonde girl opened the door and slipped on her shoes as she continued to smile at the alchemist.

"Thank you, Edo-kun. You made me feel better. I'd better get going now, kaa-san will be worried if I get home too late." She said.

Something flickered through Ed's eyes at the statement, but it was gone instantaneously. "Are you sure that you don't need me to walk you home? It's getting dark outside and I'm sure this place isn't completely safe, especially with the monsters now."

"Thanks anyway, Edo-kun. I'll be fine. I'll call you on the communicator once I'm at home to let you know I got there alright."

Without another word, Usagi was gone. Edward sighed as he moved out onto the balcony. He could see the girl exiting the building as she turned to wave up at him. He waved back and continued to watch her walk away before he switched his gaze to the towering skyline. He wasn't sure if he was going to like this place. He didn't really know anyone other than Setsuna and Usagi. That didn't make for many friends. That was something to start with, however.

Gone were the days of searching for the Philosopher's Stone and dealing with a high-endeavored colonel. He was in an entirely different world, so to speak, on the other side of the Gate. Could he adapt to this new place and the new challenges that were placed before him? The blonde didn't know, Edward thought that he could at least try. Just from Usagi's reaction to his earlier question, these girls had been through quite a bit. The alchemist knew that Setsuna said that his purpose here was to help the senshi with this new enemy, so that's what he would do.

Edward watched as the street lights began to wink on one by one along the streets below. On a second glance, this city wasn't so different from Central. The two were both bustling in their own way. It wasn't the city itself that he noticed so much, but that stars that shone above it. The inky blackness dissolved into a navy blue and finally a pink color as it met the skyline that was bright enough to rival the heavens above it. If there was a God, Edward was sure that he was mocking him.

The young state alchemist rested his chin on his arms as he continued to stare out into the buildings of the city. There was one principal, one phrase that always stuck in his mind and made him sneer at the mere thought of it.

Equivalent exchange.

A life for a life; he'd sacrificed himself for his brother. His debt had been repaid. Alphonse could be happy living in his real body in their own world with all of their friends. He knew that Granny Pinako and Winry would take care of him. As Edward was staring out from his balcony, probably more into space than anything, he kept hearing the same words over and over again in his head. They made him wonder if this whole thing hadn't been something a little more, perhaps.

_Your destiny guides you through these Gates. Equivalent exchange. You must follow your destiny. Equivalent exchange. Your destiny guides you through these Gates, Edward Elric. You must follow your destiny._

Since when did anything in his life depend on destiny? His choices had always led he and Al closer to their outcome not this destiny. Ed stared at the black watch on his wrist. He wasn't entirely sure how far Usagi lived from him, but he was starting to get a bit apprehensive. She'd said that she'd be fine on the way home, but Edward couldn't help but think that he should've gone with her now. She was still a teenage girl after all and this place was bound to have criminals and thugs too.

A wave of static broke the silence as the blonde lifted his head to stare at the communicator. Muffled sounds came through as his brows furrowed in confusion as the person on the other end finally spoke to relay a message.

_"Edo-kun!"_ That was Usagi. _"I need your help! I ran into a youma on my way home. I'm not far from you. Haiyaku!"_

"I'm on my way, Usagi! Hold out until I get there!"

Edward fled from the balcony and grabbed his coat, sliding on his shoes Making sure that his apartment was locked, the young alchemist fled the building with all the speed that his body would grant him.

~*~

The small blonde was making her way home through the empty streets. She'd declined Ed's offer to walk her home. He was having enough trouble adjusting to his new life without making sure that she was taken care of. Usagi wasn't sure how she would react if she were in his place. Being taken to a new place where you knew no one and everything was entirely different would be frightening. She didn't know how he could be so calm about it.

The sudden chill of a new presence caused her to stop momentarily on her current path. It was a feeling that she'd grown to recognize over the last two years. The last time she'd felt it had been months ago when Galaxia's animamates had been creating phages. This was a youma. Clutching the brooch that was in her pocket, Usagi cut down an alleyway to her left. A few yards was a long distance, but when it was dark, it made all the difference.

Usagi came to a stop when she spotted the form of a woman with pale skin and unnatural colored hair; a deep red or green. It was too dark to tell. There were vines of some kind wrapped around a middle aged man that had fallen to the ground. She seemed to be sucking the energy from him. This was an old tactic. The blonde hadn't come across any of these monsters since she and the other Senshi had fought the evil Metallia and Queen Beryl. Usagi looked down quickly as she kicked a can accidentally across the ground. That was when the creature looked up at her. Oops.

Fangs were bared as the youma grinned at her. "Well, what do you know? A nice young girl for me to suck the energy from."

Usagi swallowed as she hopped out of the way to avoid the vines that were hurdling toward her. The vines lashed back quickly. The blonde dove to the ground to avoid the vines, the gravel digging into her knee. As she was righting herself, another set of vines wrapped around her mid section, squeezing the breath out of her. This was definitely not turning out to be the night she'd thought it would be. Usagi let out a small cry as she felt herself getting weaker. Managing to get her wrist high enough to see, Usagi hit a button on her communicator, calling the person who was closest to her in terms of distance.

It was a few moments before she could take in enough air to speak. When she finally spoke, her tone was that of desperation. "Edo-kun! I need your help! I ran into a youma on my way home. I'm not far from you. Haiyaku!"

_"I'm on my way, Usagi! Hold out until I get there!"_

Edward was coming to help her. Hopefully, he'd be here soon. Otherwise, she'd be unconscious in a few minutes or maybe even dead. Usagi squirmed one last time and managed to get a leg free. Just when she felt her eyelids getting heavy, she blinked them to see the blonde alchemist slide around the corner. He clapped his hands together, causing a blue light to flash and lightning to spiral up his arm. When the light had died down, part of his automail had become a blade. Ed rushed toward the youma that had Usagi in its grasp. With a loud cry, he cut the vines and released Usagi. The creature let out howl of pain as it retracted its vines to nurse its wounds.

"Are you all right?" Ed asked, grabbing Usagi's hand and hauling her to her feet.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Edo-kun. I'm glad that you could get here so quickly." She replied, dusting herself off.

The alchemist let out a cheeky laugh. "I ran all the way here. What did you expect?"

Usagi shook her head as she removed the brooch from her pocket and turned to her companion. "Thanks for your help, Edo-kun. I'll take it from here." Taking a deep breath, she raised the brooch over her head. "Moon Eternal! Make up!"

In a flash of light and feathers, Edward had never been more embarrassed in all of his life. A pink color painted his cheeks as he examined Usagi as she stood before him then. She wore a short layered skirt with a white bodice and pink sleeves. Knee-high heeled boots covered her feet and legs. White gloves climbed her arms to stop at her biceps. A large white wing-shaped bow rested at the small of her back. To fight monsters, she sure was scantily clad.

"I won't let you hurt anymore innocent people!" she shouted to the youma in the alleyway. "By the power of love and justice, I'm the pretty sailor-suited soldier, Sailor Moon! In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

The monster cackled as it sent an energy attack straight at the two teenagers. Ed clapped his hands together and placed them on the ground. A wall of stone shot up to block them. Sailor Moon cracked open an eye and let out a sigh of relief. Ed turned to her to make an inquiry.

"How do you kill that thing? I'd love to know. I'm guessing that it's not any normal way." He said.

"You're right, Edo-kun. I'll have to finish it off." She said, nodding seriously. Taking out her tier, she twirled around gracefully and faced the youma. "Silver Moon! Crystal Power Kiss!"

The light that came from the object caused the creature to scream in agony. In a matter of moments, all that was left of the youma fell into a pile of silvery dust on the pavement. The alchemist blinked in surprise and turned to look at Usagi just in time to see her touch the brooch on her chest and return to her normal self. The teenage girl smiled innocently at him.

"You know, if you're going to fight with the Senshi, you're going to need a disguise. Otherwise normal people will recognize you." She stated.

"What?" Ed asked, confused.

"You could wear a tuxedo and a mask. What did they call you in your world?"

The blonde alchemist scratched his head, not liking this idea. "My title in the military was the Fullmetal Alchemist. Why?"

"That's what you could be! I'm sure I have a tuxedo that my brother can't wear that you could use. I'll work on the rest of it!" Usagi said, excitedly. "You can't fight evil and have people recognize you. You'll probably start school once summer break is over."

"Wait, who said anything about school? Aren't you overreacting a little?" Edward said, quirking an eyebrow.

"You don't want to be labeled as a delinquent, do you?" the blonde asked as she poked him in the chest with her index finger. "Haruka would never let you work for her if you were."

Ed groaned at the mention of this. "Fine. I guess I'll have to talk to Setsuna about my schooling, then. Boy, I don't see how your boyfriend puts up with you seeing as you're so pushy, odango atama."

Usagi spun on her heal to make her way out of the alley. "Mamo-chan loves me for me, Edo-kun. You're just jealous."

"Jealous of what? A hyperactive motor mouth who enjoys sweets too much and eats like she as a black hole for a stomach? That's not my idea of a perfect girlfriend."

"You're so mean. Mamo-chan would never say things like that to me. Not even Seiya would've been that rude. I see why you aren't popular with girls."

The teenage boy sent her a heated glare as he moved to walk beside her. "I have plenty of girls that would be attracted to me, thank you very much. I don't have to impress you. I'm going to walk you home to make sure you get there this time. You seem to get into a lot of trouble when you're left on your own."

"Fine, do what you want, Edo-kun. Just don't blame me when you get lost trying to find your way back home." Usagi said, sticking her tongue out.

~*~

End Chapter.

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**Well, thus ends chapter one. What did you think? See that button down there? Use it!! XD Until next time!**


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